Question 14·Medium·Command of Evidence
E-book Sales as a Percentage of Total Unit Sales in All Book Formats for a Large US Trade Publisher, by Genre, 2006, 2011, 2016
| Genre | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| science fiction and fantasy | 0.6 | 27.7 | 36.7 |
| cookbooks | 0 | 2.9 | 10.5 |
| travel guides | 0 | 5.5 | 24.6 |
| romance | 0.3 | 40.6 | 56.2 |
E-books became an increasingly popular means of reading in the United States in the 2000s and 2010s, though that popularity was concentrated in titles that, like those in most fiction genres, are meant to be read straight through from beginning to end. For books in nonfiction genres that do not tell stories and require the reader to flip back and forth through a volume, e-books were significantly less commercially successful. This can be seen by comparing ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to illustrate the claim?
For data-based Command of Evidence questions, first paraphrase the claim in your own words, identifying exactly what contrast or pattern is being described (here, fiction read straight through vs flip-through nonfiction, and more vs less e-book success). Then scan the table for categories that match those groups and look for a comparison that changes only the factor the claim cares about (genre type, not year). Finally, test each answer by asking, “Does this comparison directly show that relationship?” and eliminate choices that only show trends over time or compare the wrong kinds of categories.
Hints
Focus on the contrast in the claim
Reread the sentence before the blank: which two types of books is the author contrasting when talking about e-book popularity?
Match the claim to the table
Look at the table and decide which genres are most likely "meant to be read straight through" and which ones readers often "flip back and forth" through.
Think about what kind of comparison proves the point
The sentence says "This can be seen by comparing _____." To show one type is more successful than another, would it be better to compare different years of the same genre, or different genres in the same year?
Check each answer against the claim
For each option, ask: Does this compare the right kinds of genres (one straight-through and one flip-through) and does it directly support the idea that e-books are less successful for flip-through nonfiction?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the claim is saying
The sentence explains that e-books were more popular for books "meant to be read straight through" (like most fiction) and less successful for nonfiction books that people "flip back and forth" through. So we need data that contrasts:
- a fiction, straight-through genre, vs.
- a nonfiction, flip-through genre,
showing that e-books made up a much smaller share of sales for the nonfiction genre.
Classify the genres in the table
From the table:
- Fiction / read-straight-through genres: science fiction and fantasy, romance
- Likely flip-through nonfiction genres: cookbooks, travel guides
The comparison we choose should involve one fiction and one nonfiction genre, to match the contrast in the claim.
Decide what kind of comparison best shows the claim
To clearly show that e-books were more successful for fiction than for flip-through nonfiction, the best comparison will:
- Use e-book percentages for two different genres (one fiction, one nonfiction), and
- Ideally be from the same year, so we are only comparing genre (not time), and
- Show a big difference in the percentages.
Now keep these requirements in mind while checking each answer choice.
Evaluate each answer choice
Choice B: compares romance in 2006 vs romance in 2016. That is the same genre over time, not fiction vs nonfiction.
Choice C: compares 2006 romance with 2006 science fiction and fantasy. Both are fiction, so this does not show fiction vs nonfiction.
Choice D: compares 2011 travel guides with 2016 travel guides. Again, this is one nonfiction genre over time, not fiction vs nonfiction.
Choice A: compares 2016 cookbooks (nonfiction, flip-through) with 2016 science fiction and fantasy (fiction, read straight through). In 2016, cookbooks had 10.5% e-book sales and science fiction and fantasy had 36.7%, a large gap that directly shows e-books were much less successful for the flip-through nonfiction genre than for the fiction genre. Therefore, the correct answer is: the percentage of 2016 cookbook sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 science fiction and fantasy sales that were e-books.